SMITH FAMILY RECORD

(SCHMIDT)  

Siebert SMITH was born 25 Dec 1835 at Hesse Cassel, Germany. He migrated to America landing in New Orleans, LA. After a period of time, deciding he did not like it in America, he returned to Germany. Some time later, he returned in order to avoid border fighting in Germany. He settled in Westville, Champaign County, OH. He had married Virginia KIZER in Louisville, Kentucky. Virginia was born 12 Oct 1846 in Louisville, Kentucky (this may not be accurate-she may have been born in Virginia). Siebert followed farming as his vocation and owned a considerable amount of land on both sides of the road in western Westville. Three homes were built, which still stand today (1994), at that location. Siebert and Virginias children are:

Susie SMITH                 b. 19 Sep 1870              d.     Aug 1966

John Henry SMITH       b. 23 Aug 1872              d.     May 1959

Mary Melissa SMITH    b. 22 May 1874             d. 29 Aug 1906

Frank Edward SMITH   b. 19 Aug 1878              d.      Apr 1964

Eva May SMITH           b. 10 Mar 1882              d. 17 Aug 1950

Nellie SMITH                b.   6 Aug 1883              d.  20 Sep 1950

Siebert SMITH died 25 Feb 1896, and Virginia died 4 Mar 1908. They are buried at Nettle Creek Cemetery, Westville, Champaign County, Ohio.

 Susie SMITH, daughter of Siebert and Virginia (KIZER) SMITH married Albert L. KERN on 2 Jan 1889. They resided in South Bend, Indiana where they had three children. Suzie was a favorite aunt of Edmund Marley McDERMENT. His nickname for his daughter Marlene was always Suzie.

 Ollie Gladys KERN daughter of Albert L and Susie (Smith) KERN was born 16 Nov 1890. She married Charles John NOISOM and they had one child, Phyllis Kern NOISOM who married a man by the name of LUPI.  Phyllis was born 18 May 1922 and died 31 Aug 1977. Ollie Gladys (KERN) NOISOM died in 1962.

 Bertha Jane KERN daughter of Albert L and Susie (Smith) KERN was born 4 Nov 1892. She married first George Adam DRESCHER who was a physician. Three daughters were born to them. They are Marian (DRESCHER) STEVENSON, Mary Ellen (DRESCHER) PYNNOVEN, and

 Bertha Jane (DRESCHER) WOOTEN. Bertha Jane married a second time to Harry LOVE.

 Virginia Katherine KERN daughter of Albert L and Susie (Smith) KERN was born in South Bend, Indiana on 27 Dec 1908. She attended school in Illinois and graduated R.N. (Registered Nurse) from Memorial Hospital (formerly Epworth Hospital) in South Bend. She married Charles BUNKER who was born 22 Jan 1909 in South Bend, Indiana. They were married 13 Jan 1934 in Valparaiso, Ind. and resided in South Bend until 1960 when they moved to Florida. His parents were Sam Graham and Maude (IRELAND) BUNKER who had two other sons, Howard Graham BUNKER and James BUNKER. Charles and Katherine Virginia (KERN) BUNKER had two children:

Jeffery Lee BUNKER was born 22 May 1935 and married a girl named Carol Anne. They have four children: Timothy Scott, Kathryn Marie (married name is BENNETT), Carla Jean, and Charles Howard.

Bradley Dean BUNKER son of Charles and Virginia Katherine (KERN) BUNKER was born 31 Jul 1937 and married a girl named Gwendolyn RITTER. They have no children.

John Henry SMITH, son of Siebert SMITH and Virginia (KIZER) SMITH was married to Letha Iona STORY on 28 Mar 1907. John built one of the three Smith homes located east of the old schoolhouse on the western side of Westville, for his mother to live in. He moved his family into this house after she died. John was a railroad foreman of the crew that maintained the tracks for the Pennsylvania Railroad between Urbana and Westville, Ohio. Letha Iona STORY was born 4 Oct 1886. John and Letha had the following children:

Ada Virginia SMITH daughter of John Henry and Letha Iona (STORY) SMITH was born 19 Feb 1908. She married Marvin J. BISHOP on 2 Oct 1935 in Anna, Shelby Co., Ohio. Marvin was born 10 Aug 1910 in St. Paris, Ohio. He was the son of Edward and Sarah Viola (JENKINS) BISHOP. They had two sons:

Jerry E. BISHOP son of Marvin J. and Ada Virginia (SMITH) BISHOP married Judy LOWRY.  He received his B.A. degree in 1966 and works  with the mentally retarded in Monticello, Indiana. They had one son, Todd Lee BISHOP who was born 9 Jan 1972 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Jerry and Judy were divorced and Todd is currently living in Grand Detour, Illinois with his mother.  

David A. Bishop son of Marvin J. and Ada Virginia (SMITH) BISHOP was born 22 Oct 1948 in Urbana, Champaign Co., Ohio. He resides with his parents in Rockford, Illinois and is employed as a damage prevention officer for the Chicago Northwestern Railroad. He was always interested in history and received a degree from Northwestern University in that subject. His interest and correspondence have been very valuable to me in researching the Smith family. I thank him.

Marvin J. BISHOP passed away on 9 Feb 1985 from stomach cancer. He died in Rockford, IL and is buried in Ohio. His occupation had been as photoengraver and he had served in the European Theatre in 1844-45.  

Forrest A. SMITH second child of John Henry and Letha Iona (STORY) SMITH married Mary L. BEHNEY. They had no children. Forrest was a rural mail carrier and had served in World War II landing on Omaha Beach during the Normandy Invasion.  

Mary Mellisa (Lissa) SMITH third child of Siebert and Virginia (KIZER) SMITH married John R. ELRICK o n 28 Sep 1898. Her husband had a store in Columbus, Franklin County, Ohio. It was here that her sister, Nellie (SMITH), met James Henry McDERMENT who became her husband. Jimmy and Nellie are my grandparents.

 Frank Edward SMITH fourth child of Siebert and Virginia (KIZER) SMITH married Ada Belle CRABIL ON 6 Apr 1905 in Springfield, Ohio. He built another of the three Smith homes in Westville, Ohio. This home is still occupied by one of our relatives (1985), by Frank’s great grandson, Dale GODDARD. They had the following children:  

Lawrence SMITH son of Frank Edward and Ada Belle (CRABIL) SMITH was born 13 Aug 1906 and was married to Dorothy MAREA on 4 Oct 1958. They resided in Toledo, Ohio. He had been employed as a communications operator for C & O Railroad and had retired in 1971. To this union were born three daughters: Jean (SMITH) PICKEREL, Peggy (SMITH) SPYCHALSI, both of Toledo, and Phyllis (SMITH) CONN of Maumee, Ohio. Lawrence died 20 Dec 1984 in Toledo and was buried in Toledo Memorial Park Cemetery.  

Helen SMITH daughter of Frank Edward and Ada Belle (CRABIL) SMITH was born 17 Apr 1909. She married Ivan GODDARD. They retired to Florida.  

Genivieve (Jenny) SMITH daughter of Frank Edward and Ada Belle (CRABIL) SMITH was born 24 Jun 1918 and died 2 Jun 1976. I remember her fondly as she took interest in entertaining me when my family visited in Westville when I was a small child. She worked at a grain elevator nearby and took me there to show me how the weigh scales worked. I also spent a lot of time in the Smith yards where there were a number of apple trees. When I purchased my home at 21355 Ball Avenue in Euclid, Ohio I was surprised when I walked into my yard for the first time and it smelled just like the Smith property. I also had a number of apple trees. Jenny never married and remained in Westville all of her life. She died 2 Jun 1976.  

Eva May SMITH fifth child of Siebert and Virginia (KIZER) SMITH married Marley GENTIS. They occupied the third of the Smith homes in Westville. They had no children. Edmund Marley McDERMENT, my father, was named after him.  

Nellie SMITH sixth child of Siebert and Virginia (KIZER) SMITH, my grandmother, was married to James Henry McDERMENT on 6 Apr 1905. They met in Columbus at the store owned by her sister Mary Mellisa (Lissa) SMITH and her husband John R. ELRICK. Nellie died at heir home at 14612 Alder Avenue in Cleveland, Ohio. See McDERMENT family for more information.  

Additional SMITH notes:  

Siebert SCHMIDT as his name was originally spelled changed his name to SMITH sometime after his second arrival in America.  

David BISHOP is in possession of the wedding certificate for Siebert and Virginia (KIZER) SMITH which he states is from Louisville, Kentucky. He is also in possession of Siebert’s wedding gloves which he describes as for “very small hands”. David says his uncle said that Siebert used to shout at the children in German when they were misbehaving.  

David provided this additional information:

Virginia (KIZER) SMITH was born in Kentucky. Her brother Cary went west during the Gold Rush of 1849 and did not return. I had heard this from my grandfather James Henry McDERMENT as I sat with him over many games of checkers that we played during his elder years.

Obituaries for Siebert Smith

IN LOVING MEMORY

Of Siebert Smith who died at his home in Westville

Feb. 28th, 1896

 

                        One long month has come and gone

                        Since his dear spirit fled

                        How sudden was his summons,

                        To know that he was dead.

                        Time was too short to say farewell

                        To those he loved so well.

                         No bitter tears had he to weep

                        No sins to be forgiven

                        Yet how oft we ask our aching hearts

                        Why we weep for him who is in heaven.

                         Farewell to Siebert, but not forever,

                        There will be a glorious dawn

                        We shall meet to part, no never.

                        On the resurrection morn

                        Tho’ the dear form lays sleeping

                        In the cold and silent tomb.

 A Sudden death

Siebert Smith, of Westville, died very suddenly at this home Friday afternoon. He attended stock sale in this city Thursday and was apparently in good health up to the time of his death. He was sixty years of age and had a wide acquaintance in this county.  

Westville  

Our citizens were startled last Friday by the announcement that Seibert Smith had falled dead from heart trouble. Mr. Smith was a hard working man and will be missed by the entire community and epically by his family, as he was a kind father and husband. He was 60 years, 2 months and 3 days old. Funeral from the Universalist Church on Monday March 24, Rev. John Richardson officiating. The family have the sympathy of the entire community. Mr. Nathanial Knotts and wife of Columbus, were here to attend the funeral of Mr. Seibert Smith, brother-in-law to Mrs. Knotts.

Obituaries for Virginia (KIZER) SMITH

Mrs. Virginia Smith, aged 63 years at the home of her daughter, Mrs. Marley Gentis, after a long and painful illness, Wednesday, March 4th. Her funeral took place from the Universalist Church Friday afternoon and was largely attended. Rev. Briggs conducted the services. Interment in Nettle Creek Cemetery. Mr. and Mrs. Wm McDermitt, Alex Kizer and Nathaniel Knotts, all of Columbus, were in attendance at the funeral of Mrs. Smith, Friday last.

Note: Attendee names are all incorrect.

Additions & Corrections to the Smith Family

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